


It Stays in Budapest

by plentyofrockets (themirrordarkly), themirrordarkly



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst and Humor, Attempt at Humor, BAMF Clint, BAMF Natasha, Be Careful What You Wish, Blood and Injury, Budapest, Crack, Demons, F/M, Feelings, Halloween, Halloween Gift Exchange, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Magic, Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Sassy Natasha, Spooky, Supernatural Elements, Tenderness, Tony Being Tony, developing feelings, how do I tag this?, or weird supernatural stuff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-31
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-04-29 10:40:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,120
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5124482
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themirrordarkly/pseuds/plentyofrockets, https://archiveofourown.org/users/themirrordarkly/pseuds/themirrordarkly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Why couldn’t he ever have a normal Halloween? Clint Barton was thinking this as he listened to Tony Stark talk about their travel plans.</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>Tony finally broke the silence.<br/>“Okay kids, who all thought this was a good idea?” He threw up his hands. “Did someone just summon some demon spawn on Halloween?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [hellseries](https://archiveofourown.org/users/hellseries/gifts).



> This is for you, hellseries, for the Spoopy Halloween fic exchange! I am really sorry this is a bit late. I used the characters you asked for and the anything goes. I did have trouble thinking of an idea, but suddenly I was hit over the head with one. And, bang! It just had to be written! I have problems thinking up short ideas. Oops! It really was only suppose to be 2000 words. I do hope you enjoy it, as much as enjoyed writing it!
> 
>  
> 
> "Tis now the very witching time of night When churchyards yawn and hell itself breathes out Contagion to this world. Now could I drink hot blood And do such bitter business as the day Would quake to look on.” -William Shakespeare, “Hamlet” (Act III, Scene 2)

_Why couldn’t he ever have a normal Halloween?_

Clint Barton was thinking this as he listened to Tony Stark talk about their travel plans. Slouching in an over-stuffed chair, arms crossed, he tried not to nod off. He was awoken at 5 a.m., tossed on his clothes, chugged some coffee and was good to go, arriving at the Avenger’s Tower in a half an hour.

“We’ll use one of my private jets,” Tony said as he paced back and forth with nervous energy. “Lear. One of these days I’ll design a better one. When I’m not trying to invent the perfect coffee maker.”

Clint’s attention came back online with the mention of coffee. “I’d like to see that.”

“And you will.” Tony pointed at Clint for emphasis. “The hardest invention I've ever worked on, but I’m a genius, so there’s that. That’s the coffee maker not the plane. That will be easy when I get the time.” He stopped pacing and stroked his beard. “What was the problem again? Kind of hate to leave with Pepper having tickets to the ‘Phantom of the Opera’, the Halloween showing.” He clapped his hands together rubbing them. “Better yet, can’t wait to get going, musicals aren’t my thing—they’re Pepper’s thing. So when do we leave?”

Tony looked around expectantly at the other three there – Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff and Clint. The other two, Bruce and Thor, were busy or were not called in. Clint didn’t know which.

Steve just rolled his eyes giving Tony his patented ‘you’re an idiot’ look before he spoke. “There’s a village near Budapest that has some possible Hydra activity. There has been a report of sudden disappearances of some villagers. Rumors of ‘space aliens’.”

And it was Clint’s turn to roll his eyes. _Budapest_. Also Clint could practically hear the air quotes around the words space aliens.

“Which seems hokey, but you remember what happened in New York so we can’t afford to not check this out,” Steve added.

“Hokey-dokey,” Tony said.

And Natasha smiled at that and Clint tuned out the rest of the meeting as he got his own silly, sappy smile on his face. He felt like he was in high school again sliding a glance at the prettiest girl in the school. Except he was years out of high school and this was Natasha, super spy.

 

*****

They were all on the jet for the long flight so Clint thought he’d catch up on some sleep. That was before Natasha slid into the seat next to his.

“You okay?” Her voice pitched in a concerned whisper.

“Budapest, it has to be Budapest.” He rubbed his eyebrow, frowning.

“What’s wrong with Budapest? It’s one of the most beautiful cities in central Europe.”

“You know why," he sighed as he ticked off each point with his fingers. “Besides—‘you know what’—there is money laundering, contraband, smuggling and the central hub to international crime.”

“Why do you have to be so negative? The thermal springs alone make it worth it.” Her eyes widening as she gave a quick nod.

“Tasha…” He gave an exasperated huff.

“Okay, okay.” She rested her hand on his knee. That small gesture had all his protests silencing in his throat. A warmhearted feeling came over him as he gave her a quiet look and said no more.

 

*****

Ten hours later, Clint was standing with the others in an open field near a barn and homestead just outside of Budapest. They had questioned the villagers, and they directed them here with scared whispers and nervous looks. Yes, there were people missing, about thirty, and rumors told.

“It happened at midnight,” a frighten shopkeeper said.

“Strange lights at the Fodor farm,” a grocer said.

“Janos didn’t come home from the tavern last night,” a waitress said.

“Dark, strange beasts are in the woods,” the village drunk said.

They were all staring at a pentagram, painted in pig’s blood. The protective salt circle broken.

Tony finally broke the silence.

“Okay kids, who all thought this was a good idea?” He threw up his hands. “Did someone just summon some demon spawn on Halloween? You’re kidding me, right? That only happens in B-movies or young adult novels.”

Natasha was kneeling down inspecting the salt ring. “It looks that way.” She glanced up.

“What? Are you an occult expert now?” Tony asked.

“I know a lot of things. Some things I’d really rather not know. So yeah, you can say I’m an amateur occultist.” Natasha stood up brushing her knees off.

“And where would I go if I was some creature of the night—underground. That’s where. There are some caves nearby. Let me figure out which one is closest.” Tony pulled out his Stark phone and tapped it a few times. “Done.” He pointed with his phone. “Closest cave is that a way. Two miles north of here. And large also, maybe two miles long.”

Steve crossed his arms. “That’s convenient.”

“The Buda Hills,” Natasha said.

“Huh?” Clint turned toward her questioning.

“Just another thing about Budapest and Hungary. Caves.” She shrugged.

“Are we back to that?” Clint raised both his eyebrows.

“I never stopped.” She smirked back.

 

*****

“Break ‘em and shake ‘em,” Clint said as he passed out the glow sticks.

“Is there an innuendo in there somewhere?” Tony asked as he took the stick and did as instructed.

“I don’t even want to know.” Clint shook his head.

“But you do.” Tony pointed a finger at him. “I can see it in your resting ‘serial killer’ face.”

“Can it, Tony,” Steve said as he clipped the glow stick to his belt. “We have to concentrate on the mission.”

“I am concentrating. I just do it better when I am talking.”

“I noticed,” Steve quipped.

 

*****

For the search, Clint and the others didn’t bother to change out of their casual clothes. Except for Natasha, who was in her full Black Widow garb, because she said, ‘why not’?

They made their way into the mouth of the cave. Even though this cave wasn’t one of the tourist attractions, there was a lot of recent traffic. It was evident by the disturbed dirt and broken plants. Once inside, Clint had to admit the natural formations were stunning and beautiful. Their glow sticks casted an eerie yellow light on the many stalactites and stalagmites. But he wasn’t sure this was where the people were taken, it seemed like such a long shot. They needed to search it quick and move on to the next logical place to look. Tony was first to mention an idea about that.

“And splitting up in a dark, unknown cave is a good idea?” Steve’s sarcasm was dripping with each word.

“I didn’t say it was a good idea, but more efficient,” Tony said while putting on his tinted glasses. “Besides we all have phones so we can keep in touch. Which I provided, by the way, thank you very much.”

Steve turned to Natasha ignoring Tony. “Nat, what do you think?”

Natasha was in her thinking mode. Her brows knitted together, hand brought up to rest under her chin. “I say we do it. The search will go quicker. It’s not a great idea, but not a bad one either.”

Tony scoffed as if offended.

Natasha looked at Steve and nodded. “You and Tony go together and I’ll pair with Barton.”

Clint just hoped Steve and Tony didn’t kill each other.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm very sorry about the long break. :( Life got really busy around the holidays. Anyhow, I hope to be able to get these chapters up more quickly in the future.
> 
> Okay, now let's see what Clint is doing!  
> ***

Each pair took a different passageway and decided to meet up in an hour at the starting point. Clint left an extra glow stick as a marker there so they wouldn’t get lost in the twisty labyrinth of the cave. He also double checked his batteries in his Maglite flashlight.

He and Nat walked in silence for about five minutes before Clint grumbled,“Why can’t I ever have a normal Halloween?”

"Define normal.” Natasha’s tone was flat, yet curious.

He scratched the back of his neck as he went on. "You know—costume parties, carving a jack-o-lantern, trick or treating, scary ghost stories, bobbing for apples, homemade spiced apple cider with rum.” It sounded a little idealistic to him, which made him crave it more.

“So…” Natasha looked at him, raising her eyebrows.

He just lightly shook his head giving a small smile. “It’s not like I want to be a star in my own monster flick. I just want to sit on my lumpy sofa at home and watch it on Netflix.”

"You’re getting tired of all this?” She gestured her hand to the surrounding area. He knew she didn’t mean just the cave, but everything. Mainly his career choices. His stomach felt like he ate a heavy brick when he thought about it.

“That’s not what I said—just maybe a little vacation. Enjoy a holiday.” And somehow thinking that made the knot in his stomach loosen a bit. A vacation.

“Mmm…” She nodded and her lips quirked. “I see your point. Could be nice, a holiday.”

"Yeah,” he agreed. 

“But you would be so bored,” she said, wrinkling her nose.

"No, that’s you. You’re projecting.”

“Perhaps.” She pressed her lips together. “Okay, after this we go somewhere. My treat.” 

“You don’t have to do that.” He stopped and placed his hand on her shoulder to stop her. 

She turned around, a slow smile spreading across her face. 

“No. no. Let me do this. It’ll be fun. Don’t you trust me?”

“No.” He chuckled. 

She lightly punched him in the shoulder, still smiling. “See you’re learning. But no, you will like.” 

“We’ll see.”

“There you go again with the negative thinking.”

*****

Clint and Natasha met up with Steve after an half an hour. He was coming from the opposite direction. Clint waved his hand, calling Steve over when he saw him. 

“Hey, did you find anything?”

Steve glanced over his shoulder and back. “The passage circled around.”

“Where’s Tony?” Clint asked looking past Steve.

“Oh, you know Tony.” Steve shrugged as he pulled out his phone, handing it over to Clint. “It’s not working. Take a look at it.” 

Clint took it and started scrutinizing it. There was a problem with the signal. 

“Steve? Where’s your shield?” Natasha asked. 

Clint flicked a look at Natasha, before looking back at Steve. 

It happened so fast. Clint was picked up by Steve and thrown hard against the rock wall, breath knocked out of his lungs. He bounced, falling in a crumple, his knee painfully twisting, arrows scattering all over. 

“Shit!” Clint scrambled for his bow, while Natasha flipped one of her Taser discs at Steve. Steve’s knees buckled under him, cracking on the stone floor, as several thousand volts went through him, before he managed to rip off the disc. He now just looked pissed off. Getting up, Steve charged toward Natasha who danced out of the way. Clint notched an arrow, took aim, let go. The arrow hit Steve’s thigh, but it didn’t stop him. Shooting two more times, he struck his back. 

And then he watched Natasha pull out her Glock and smoothly shoot Steve in the head; blood spurted out and he fell like a cut tree.

“You just shot Captain America in the freaking head!” Clint was completely dumbfounded, his mouth hanging open.

“It wasn’t him,” Natasha said calmly. 

Clint, on the other hand, was anything but calm. “How do you know? He looks like him.” He scrubbed his hands over his face. “Oh, for Christ’s sake, Nat.”

“Calm down.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m 98 percent sure that wasn’t Steve.” 

“98 percent? What about the other 2 percent?”

He knelt down by Steve to see if he was still breathing and checked for a pulse. Both were faint but still there. 

“Oops?” She gave a light shrug.

“Oops? Did you just say, oops?” His eyes bugged out at her. 

“It wasn’t Steve and anyway he could survive that; he would be upset but survive.”

Clint was beginning to believe Nat, because she sounded so sure. It wasn’t that he didn’t think it was true. He didn’t want it to be true. It was pretty fantastical, because he looked and talked just like Steve. How was that possible? He checked the head wound and it didn’t seems as bad as he first thought. Even though he tried to kill Clint, he was still going to bandage him up. Maybe the only reason he was doing it was because he had Steve’s face. 

“If Steve could survive that, could the Fake Steve also?”

“Good point.” She licked her bottom lip. “I suggest you finish up there and get moving—now. We might not have much time. We have to find Tony and Steve."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading so far! Sorry about the cliffhanger! >.> Things will be explained more why Nat did what she did. I hope to have another chapter up next week.  
> Thanks again for reading!


End file.
